Children's Book Review- "Goin Someplace Special" by Patricia C. McKissack

"Goin Someplace Special" by Patricia C. McKissack and
illustrator Jerry Pinkney bring home a storybook with a rich story, beautiful illustrations and a historical reference point for kids concerning segregation. My children had little idea about what the Jim Crowe segregation laws in the South might have felt like to a girl their age back in the '50's, so it was an eye opening as well as educational read for them.
A 12 year old girl named Tricia Ann is taking a trip to "someplace special" for the first time all by her self in a downtown non-specified Southern town. She needs to ride the bus to get there and encounters all sorts of prejudice and injustice on her way. Armed with encouraging words from her Grandma that "No matter what, Hold yo' head up and act like you b'long to somebody", she finally makes it to her destination and is so glad that she did. This book was a Coretta Scott King award winner and deservedly so, I believe this book is to storybooks what "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett is to novels- a fictional acount of segregation in the South that packs an important message- we don't ever want to go back there. I would recommend this book for young school aged children; I think it would go over the head of a pre-schooler.